1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to saw mountable on a self-propelled piece of equipment, such as tractor. More specifically, to a concrete saw mounted to a boom or retractable arm on a tractor, the concrete saw being articulatable relative to the boom or retractable arm.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cutting of reinforced concrete and masonry structures, such as walls, columns, beams and piles, typically requires precise cuts by skilled operators using a wall saw. In one conventional operation, a track is fastened to a portion of the structure to be cut to guide the wall saw during the cutting process. The fastening process includes drilling multiple holes in the structure and inserting anchors that are coupled between the structure and the track. The saw is then attached to the track and moved relative to the track to cut the structure.
The conventional cutting operation is time consuming and requires multiple operators. The track may need to be moved multiple times in order to complete a cut, which requires unbolting of the anchors from one portion of the structure and re-anchoring the track in the new portion of the structure. Safety is a factor as the portion to-be-cut must be suspended and/or secured to prevent the cut-off portion from falling or pinching the saw blade. Typically, a crane is used to suspend or secure the cut-off portion, which requires an additional operator.
In the case of cutting columns or piles having a thick, rectangular cross-section, track-mounted wall saws may require fastening to one surface, un-fastening from that surface and re-fastening along another surface to complete the cut, which is time-consuming. Additionally, conventional track mounted wall saws are not amenable to cutting irregular shaped objects, which require custom tracks and/or complicated positioning and repositioning of the track to complete the cut. Further, if the cutting operation takes place in a sub-surface location, suitable shoring must be implemented and permits are required before operators are allowed to enter the excavated area.
What is needed is a saw adapted to cut structures where the operator is remotely located from the cutting operation, a saw that requires less set-up time per cut and additionally reduces the number of operators needed.